


Catch the Flag

by Tiger_Tiger_Burning_Bright



Category: Four Kings Security - Charlie Cochet
Genre: The boys go paintballing, and Leo is awesome, mousetrap, they're competitive little shits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:46:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24628036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiger_Tiger_Burning_Bright/pseuds/Tiger_Tiger_Burning_Bright
Summary: Ward Kingston is used to everything being a competition amongst his nearest and dearest. A paintball challenge is just the most recent example
Comments: 7
Kudos: 4





	Catch the Flag

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PrettyBoyAlexander](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyBoyAlexander/gifts).



> This was supposed to be for someone's birthday - I epically failed on that but here it is anyway.

Ward ‘King’ Kingston folded his arms across his chest and tried not to smile

“Oh my god. You’re laughing at me.” 

The source of King’s amusement, his best friend Ace, aimed a wounded look in King’s direction from his position; flat on his back in the middle of a woodland clearing.

“Nope.” Ward was trying not to laugh. That didn't mean he was trying very hard.

“You are.” Ace sat up brushing twigs off himself and pointing an accusing finger at King. 

“My best friend has betrayed me.” he added dramatically.

“Brought it on yourself.” Ward shrugged, a statement that had the added satisfaction of being absolutely true.

……………….

It had all started a week ago and, as with most things involving his family, it had all been because everyone he loved were competitive little shits. This time it had been Mario Kart. Specifically Ace losing to Jack for the third time that day.

“Ok not fair.” Ace had complained as Jack did a victory dance around the room, “I mean I came second to a computer nerd so that’s like a win.”

“Except it’s not.” Joker mumbled, apparently on his own mission to make things worse. Not that that was out of character at all, in fact it was pretty much what king would have expected.

From there it had inevitably spiralled and somehow ended up with Ace insisting that there was no way that Jack could beat him in an actual real life game. Jack of course accepted the challenge and before King had really known what had happened Joker had booked paintball.

………

In retrospect it was surprising it had taken Ace a full 24 hours from there to try and persuade him to join his team.

The ‘nope’ had barely been out of his mouth when Red had walked into his office.

“Red, buddy.” Ace had grinned as the big man had walked in the room. King didn't miss the way that Red glanced around looking for an escape route before facing up to what was coming. 

“Laz has a photo shoot that weekend that I said I’d go to.” Red had blurted out, as if glad to get his excuse out of the way.

“You don’t even know what I’m gonna ask yet” 

“Yes I do. You’re going to ask me to be on your paintball team,” Red had held up a hand to silence Ace who was about to start talking. Ace shut his mouth.”and I’m telling you no, I can’t”

“Ok, yes that was what..wait a damn second” Ace had glanced between King and Red wide eyed. “It's a conspiracy!”

Ace had gesticulated wildly between the two of them.

“Jack has already asked you two. Hasn't he?” 

Both men had answered honestly. Jack hadn't approached either of them. It hadn't been the right answer despite having truth on it's side. 

“Why hasn't he asked you?” Ace had narrowed his eyes, his expressiong far too familiar for King’s liking. It was what King liked to call his ‘conspiracy theory’ face. “Why wouldn't he? He’s up to something and I'm gonna find out what.”

The last words had been said more to himself than anyone else as Ace had stalked out the door. Red had turned to look at King.

“This is gonna be bad isn't it.” Red had sighed

“Yep”

“So you’re gonna stop it?”

“Nope.”

………….

He’d been right of course. The week that followed had been one of the most ridiculous in Four Kings history. Ace had been even more insane than usual.

The fact that he’d blackmailed Lucky into helping him by threatening to tell his mom hadn't been a surprise. Neither had it been a shock when Mason had been dragged along by Lucky and, honestly, King did not need to know what threats Lucky had made to make that happen.

The thing that had been a surprise, although really shouldn't have been, was the many and varied ways Ace managed to epically fail to put Jack under surveillance. Jack, of course, had stayed calm throughout it all and King was firmly of the opinion that he'd done that with the specific intent of riling Ace up even further. It had worked.

By the morning of the paintball battle Ace was practically vibrating with energy and frustration. It didn't bode well.

Jack on the other hand looked frighteningly calm, worse he seemed to be actively enjoying Ace’s paranoia. 

It hadn't helped that pretty much every member of their rag tag family had turned up to watch, including Red and Laz, which had set Ace off into a tirade about dishonesty and family betrayal.

Then one more person had joined the party and right at that moment in time King knew exactly how things were going to end.

Leo was grinning like a school kid as he joined Jack. King really couldn't stop the smile that spread over his face as he watched his boyfriend; he looked absolutely adorable dressed up in camo gear and struggling with a large paintball gun.

…………...

As it turned out it hadn't taken long for the inevitable to happen. In fact it had been little over ten minutes for Ace to find himself in the middle of a clearing being taken down by a flurry of paintballs. Leo had wandered across the other side behind Ace’s back only pausing briefly to pick up a stress ball that was lying on the floor before walking unopposed into Ace’s camp and retrieving the flag.

His boyfriend, as ever, was a genius who had set up a series of events that had turned Ace in entirely the wrong direction and left the path clear for him to causally reach his prize. King couldn't be more proud.

All of which explained why Ward Kingston was standing in the middle of a forest clearing offering a hand to his best friend who was literally splattered from head to toe in paint.

Ace scrambled to his feet and pointed at a figure behind Ward, his eyes wide.

“How does he do that?” He gasped out.

Leo, not a speck of paint on him, waved the flag cheekily at Ace before ducking behind Ward.

“It’s okay babe” Coulton, as ever the sensible one, wrapped an arm around his fiance.

“It's not. It's voodoo I tell you, voodoo,” Ace waved an accusatory finger in Leo’s direction, who had the good sense to at least try and look sheepish.

“Mousetrap.” Lucky mumbled as he and Mason appeared from the woods.

“I...wait.” Ace turned to look at his cousin. “Why are you clean?”

“Oh hell son! Like we’re getting in the way when that boy does his thing. I ain’t so stupid as to see a rattler and not start a runnin’” Mason shrugged and Lucky just nodded in agreement.

“Am I the rattler?” Leo whispered in King's ear.

“Yep.”

Leo just grinned happily as King pulled him closer.

“So drinks on the loser then?” Jack said happily, slinging his paintball gun over his shoulder as he hoped down from the tree he’d been using as a sniper post.

As everyone turned to leave King could still hear Ace’s ongoing rant about family betrayal as he pulled Leo close. Days like today, crazy though they were, which just another reminder of how very lucky Ward Kingston was to have found his mismatched, oddball family.

  
  
  



End file.
